Weaker than expected iPhone XR demand causes revenue decline for key Apple supplier
Apple’s iPhone XR is an objectively good phone, but due to a few trade-offs and a price point not exactly considered affordable by some people, its sales numbers don’t seem to be meeting initial expectations.
While the Cupertino-based tech giant insists all’s well on this front, inside sources and analysts have been talking about several rounds of drastic production cuts and continuously shrinking shipment forecasts for a month or so now.
The latest sign pointing in the wrong direction for the iPhone XR’s mass appeal comes from a key supplier called General Interface Solution (GIS). This Taiwan-based touch panel module maker had projected a substantial revenue boost in the wake of the 6.1-incher’s commercial debut, with its actual November earnings dropping significantly, according to Digitimes.
While a year-on-year decline wouldn’t have been extremely notable, the fact the company’s revenue slipped 12.1 percent compared to the October 2018 result “indirectly confirms” rumors of weaker-than-anticipated iPhone XR demand.
Right now, “industry estimates” circle 30-35 million iPhone XR unit shipments for this year’s entire final quarter, likely to be followed by “downward adjustments” in Q1 and Q2 2019 predictions.
That latter part is certainly vague, and 35 million sales doesn’t sound bad at all for only one of Apple’s equally well-reviewed three new iPhone models. But there’s rarely this much smoke without fire, so while the XR might be more popular than the XS and XS Max, it’s simply not as successful as everyone expected.
While the Cupertino-based tech giant insists all’s well on this front, inside sources and analysts have been talking about several rounds of drastic production cuts and continuously shrinking shipment forecasts for a month or so now.
The latest sign pointing in the wrong direction for the iPhone XR’s mass appeal comes from a key supplier called General Interface Solution (GIS). This Taiwan-based touch panel module maker had projected a substantial revenue boost in the wake of the 6.1-incher’s commercial debut, with its actual November earnings dropping significantly, according to Digitimes.
While a year-on-year decline wouldn’t have been extremely notable, the fact the company’s revenue slipped 12.1 percent compared to the October 2018 result “indirectly confirms” rumors of weaker-than-anticipated iPhone XR demand.
Right now, “industry estimates” circle 30-35 million iPhone XR unit shipments for this year’s entire final quarter, likely to be followed by “downward adjustments” in Q1 and Q2 2019 predictions.
That latter part is certainly vague, and 35 million sales doesn’t sound bad at all for only one of Apple’s equally well-reviewed three new iPhone models. But there’s rarely this much smoke without fire, so while the XR might be more popular than the XS and XS Max, it’s simply not as successful as everyone expected.
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